The Rich Man and Lazarus - continued.
The Death of Lazarus
In the context of this parable Jesus said the following: "The Law and the Prophets were until John. Since then the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it." (Luke 16:16) To those who view this parable as literal, this statement would seem to be dealing with a completely different subject. Yet Jesus gave the parable as an illustration of this very statement. Jesus made a similar statement as recorded in Matthew 11:12,13: "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven is pressing forward vigorously and those who are vigorous seize it eagerly. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"
Jesus also stated: "Whoever puts away his wife, and marries another, commits adultery: and whoever marries her that is put away from her husband commits adultery." (Luke 16:18) Again, this seems to be unrelated to the parable. However, it has much to do with the parable as we will see.
The parable tells us: "The beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom." The death of the beggar illustrates the Jew who puts his
faith in Jesus as figuratively dying with Jesus. Thus Paul says: "Do you not know, brothers, (for I speak to them that know the law,) that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For the woman which has a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he lives. But if the husband should die, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she should marry to another man, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband should die, she is free from that law; so she is no adulteress, though she should marry another man. Therefore, my brothers, you also have become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we have been delivered from the law, because being dead to that in which we were held, we should serve in a new manner by spirit, and not in the old manner by the letter." (Romans 7:1-6) Notice how well this parallels Luke 16:18.
When Lazarus died, he was taken by the angels to Abraham's bosom. This signifies the faith-believing Jew becoming part of the true seed of Abraham in Jesus by promise apart from the Law. "For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise." (Galatians 3:18) "When the full measure of time had come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." (Galatians 4:4,5) They were being received into the favored position before God. -- Romans 4:13,14.
Likewise, the believing Gentile also, being a law unto himself, had to die to the Law of Sin that ruled in his body. (Romans 2:12-15; 3:9-20) Thus both the believing Jew as well as the believing Gentile are represented in Lazarus.
The Death of the Rich Man
John the Baptist warned the Pharisees and Sadducees: "Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." (Matthew 3:10) The Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the scribes claimed to be the representatives of that law. (Matthew 12:2; 19:3; 22:34-36; John 7:47- 49) As a rich man riding upon the Law as a means to righteousness, they missed the righteousness of God. "Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. . . . For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God." -- Romans 9:31,32; 10:3
Did the Jewish nation, seeking righteousness after the law, continue in the favor of God? Or, on the other hand did that nation die to special blessings and mercies of God that they previously so richly enjoyed? Shortly before Jesus died, he wept over Jerusalem and said: "Your house is left to you in desolation." Thus the parable continues: "The rich man also died, and was buried." With the rejection of the national polity of Jerusalem, the city of the Jews, Rich Man died, for he no longer had any standing before Yahweh. This was signified by the vail being ripped apart in the temple at Jesus' death. -- Mark 15:38.
The Rich Man in Torments
Then we read that the Rich Man, in Hades, lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and he saw Abraham in the distance, and Lazarus in his bosom. So much were the Jewish leaders tormented by the change of conditions that they persecuted the followers of Jesus, even to putting them to death. The torment of the Jewish leaders is demonstrated at Acts 5:33, when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard the things Peter and the other apostles told them: "They were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them." They demonstrated a similar torment at the words of Stephen: "When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth." (Acts 7:54) The fulfillment of this is also well-illustrated by Saul (before he became Paul the apostle), who was a Pharisee. Paul himself states: "For you have heard of my past conduct in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and destroyed it." (Galatians 1:13) "I actually thought to myself, that I should do many things to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. These things I did also in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I put into prison, having received authority from the chief priests. When they were being put to death, I gave my voice against them. I punished them often in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme. Being exceedingly angry against them, I persecuted them even in foreign cities." (Acts 26:9-11) Their torment of feeling the rejection of God by the preaching of Jesus' followers led them to try to prove that they had not been rejected. A successful revolt against the Roman yoke would be such a proof.
The Rich Man asks Abraham to send Lazarus, that he might dip the tip of his finger in water and cool the Rich Man's tongue while he is tormented in the flames. (Luke 16:24) The Rich Man is not here really wanting to receive help from the Lazarus class. He speaks, not to Lazarus, but to Abraham, asking for water from Lazarus. The Jewish leaders began to realize that something was happening. They did not want to admit that they had missed the Messiah. They wanted Messiah to deliver them, but on their own terms. Seeing Lazarus at a distance, they desired a Messiah, someone to deliver them from the torments they had come into. Especially were they seeking deliverance from the Roman yoke. In May, 66 CE, the group known as Zealots, with whom were joined Pharisees and Sadducees, openly rebelled against Roman rule. Under the leadership of one Joseph Ben Matthias, a Pharisee (better known as Flavius Josephus), the Jews repulsed the Roman armies for 47 days before surrendering the fortress of Jotapata. By seeking deliverance from another source than through faith in Jesus they in effect were saying to Abraham: "Send Lazarus over to us, that he may cool our tongue." Returning to the parable, Abraham reminded the Rich Man how he had the good things during his lifetime, while Lazarus received bad things. The Rich Man had all the favors -- the Law and the Prophets. "To them were committed the oracles of God." (Romans 3:2) Now Lazarus was comforted with the knowledge of the Good News, while the Rich Man was in anguish. -- Luke 16:25; Acts 9:31; 2 Corinthians 1:3-6.
(To be continued.)
The Death of Lazarus
In the context of this parable Jesus said the following: "The Law and the Prophets were until John. Since then the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it." (Luke 16:16) To those who view this parable as literal, this statement would seem to be dealing with a completely different subject. Yet Jesus gave the parable as an illustration of this very statement. Jesus made a similar statement as recorded in Matthew 11:12,13: "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven is pressing forward vigorously and those who are vigorous seize it eagerly. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"
Jesus also stated: "Whoever puts away his wife, and marries another, commits adultery: and whoever marries her that is put away from her husband commits adultery." (Luke 16:18) Again, this seems to be unrelated to the parable. However, it has much to do with the parable as we will see.
The parable tells us: "The beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom." The death of the beggar illustrates the Jew who puts his
faith in Jesus as figuratively dying with Jesus. Thus Paul says: "Do you not know, brothers, (for I speak to them that know the law,) that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For the woman which has a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he lives. But if the husband should die, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she should marry to another man, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband should die, she is free from that law; so she is no adulteress, though she should marry another man. Therefore, my brothers, you also have become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we have been delivered from the law, because being dead to that in which we were held, we should serve in a new manner by spirit, and not in the old manner by the letter." (Romans 7:1-6) Notice how well this parallels Luke 16:18.
When Lazarus died, he was taken by the angels to Abraham's bosom. This signifies the faith-believing Jew becoming part of the true seed of Abraham in Jesus by promise apart from the Law. "For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise." (Galatians 3:18) "When the full measure of time had come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." (Galatians 4:4,5) They were being received into the favored position before God. -- Romans 4:13,14.
Likewise, the believing Gentile also, being a law unto himself, had to die to the Law of Sin that ruled in his body. (Romans 2:12-15; 3:9-20) Thus both the believing Jew as well as the believing Gentile are represented in Lazarus.
The Death of the Rich Man
John the Baptist warned the Pharisees and Sadducees: "Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." (Matthew 3:10) The Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the scribes claimed to be the representatives of that law. (Matthew 12:2; 19:3; 22:34-36; John 7:47- 49) As a rich man riding upon the Law as a means to righteousness, they missed the righteousness of God. "Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. . . . For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God." -- Romans 9:31,32; 10:3
Did the Jewish nation, seeking righteousness after the law, continue in the favor of God? Or, on the other hand did that nation die to special blessings and mercies of God that they previously so richly enjoyed? Shortly before Jesus died, he wept over Jerusalem and said: "Your house is left to you in desolation." Thus the parable continues: "The rich man also died, and was buried." With the rejection of the national polity of Jerusalem, the city of the Jews, Rich Man died, for he no longer had any standing before Yahweh. This was signified by the vail being ripped apart in the temple at Jesus' death. -- Mark 15:38.
The Rich Man in Torments
Then we read that the Rich Man, in Hades, lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and he saw Abraham in the distance, and Lazarus in his bosom. So much were the Jewish leaders tormented by the change of conditions that they persecuted the followers of Jesus, even to putting them to death. The torment of the Jewish leaders is demonstrated at Acts 5:33, when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard the things Peter and the other apostles told them: "They were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them." They demonstrated a similar torment at the words of Stephen: "When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth." (Acts 7:54) The fulfillment of this is also well-illustrated by Saul (before he became Paul the apostle), who was a Pharisee. Paul himself states: "For you have heard of my past conduct in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and destroyed it." (Galatians 1:13) "I actually thought to myself, that I should do many things to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. These things I did also in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I put into prison, having received authority from the chief priests. When they were being put to death, I gave my voice against them. I punished them often in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme. Being exceedingly angry against them, I persecuted them even in foreign cities." (Acts 26:9-11) Their torment of feeling the rejection of God by the preaching of Jesus' followers led them to try to prove that they had not been rejected. A successful revolt against the Roman yoke would be such a proof.
The Rich Man asks Abraham to send Lazarus, that he might dip the tip of his finger in water and cool the Rich Man's tongue while he is tormented in the flames. (Luke 16:24) The Rich Man is not here really wanting to receive help from the Lazarus class. He speaks, not to Lazarus, but to Abraham, asking for water from Lazarus. The Jewish leaders began to realize that something was happening. They did not want to admit that they had missed the Messiah. They wanted Messiah to deliver them, but on their own terms. Seeing Lazarus at a distance, they desired a Messiah, someone to deliver them from the torments they had come into. Especially were they seeking deliverance from the Roman yoke. In May, 66 CE, the group known as Zealots, with whom were joined Pharisees and Sadducees, openly rebelled against Roman rule. Under the leadership of one Joseph Ben Matthias, a Pharisee (better known as Flavius Josephus), the Jews repulsed the Roman armies for 47 days before surrendering the fortress of Jotapata. By seeking deliverance from another source than through faith in Jesus they in effect were saying to Abraham: "Send Lazarus over to us, that he may cool our tongue." Returning to the parable, Abraham reminded the Rich Man how he had the good things during his lifetime, while Lazarus received bad things. The Rich Man had all the favors -- the Law and the Prophets. "To them were committed the oracles of God." (Romans 3:2) Now Lazarus was comforted with the knowledge of the Good News, while the Rich Man was in anguish. -- Luke 16:25; Acts 9:31; 2 Corinthians 1:3-6.
(To be continued.)